Berries have been on sale at my local Whole Foods, so I'm taking that as a sign that warmer weather is coming! Or at the very least that it's time to start thinking about lighter, fluffier, spring-ready treats. And even if the reality is that we do have a few more weeks of winter to go (boo!), cupcakes are welcome any month of the year.

Consider Strawberry Cupcakes frosted with White Chocolate Buttercream. How sweet would it be to bring these to a baby or bridal shower, a b-day party, or a breezy Saturday afternoon picnic? (Okay, any random afternoon.) What's more, the recipe actually calls for strawberry Nesquik (which was my little sister's fave treat when she was a kid). How can you go wrong?

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 28 muffin cups with cupcakes liners. Set aside.

Combine the flour, sugar, strawberry Nesquik, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of an electric stand mixer and whisk to remove any lumps.

Next, add the softened butter and mix until mixture becomes crumbly. Increase the speed of the mixer and continue to mix until the crumbs start to cling together. (The mixture may or may not completely combine to form a paste and that’s okay.)

Add the eggs and egg whites, one at a time, mixing well after each addition, being sure to scrape the bowl as you work.

Next, beat in the sour cream, applesauce, and vanilla. Mix until fluffy, but do not over-mix.

Using a medium to large cookie scoop, place batter into lined muffin tins.

Bake in 350°F oven for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes before removing from cupcake pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Once cooled, frost with white chocolate buttercream (recipe below) and top with chocolate covered strawberry, if desired.